Easel



Jan. 2o, 194s. u

J. H. oxLEY 2,434,860

EASEL Filed July 26, 1944 Patented Jan. 20, 1.948

' U1\111"1a:| N STATES PATENT .ortica f Johari. oxley, Watertown,rilassa4 Janet M. nxley,

-executrix of 'said Jahn H. :(xley, deccased, :as- Y lsigner to Jenni-I.Oxley Company, Watertown) ',Mass., a corporation oFMaSsach-usetts yApplication July .12.6, 1944,2SerialNo546i625 l 1 claim. (Crees-349 Myinvention relates to easels for holding and displaying articles of thinsheet material such as photographs. prints and the like, and it has forits object to provide an attractive, inexpensive and eiiicient device ofthe class referred to which will embellish its contents.

To these ends I have provided an easel of the class described which, inits preferred form, may be constructed and function as set forth in thefollowing description, although it is to be understood thatmodifications thereof are intended to be included within the scope ofthe appended claim by which the several novel features of the inventionare separately pointed out and deiined.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an easel constructed in accordancewith this invention.

Figure 2 is a side view of the easel shown in Fig. 1.

Figure 3 is a rear elevation of the frame member hereinafter described.

Figure 4 is a perspective View of the base member hereinafter described.

Figure 5 is an enlarged section on line 5 5 of Fig. l but with themiddle portion of the frame broken away.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing an article of sheetmaterial mounted Within the frame.

Figure 7 is a section on line 1-1 of Fig. 1.

Figure 8 is a partial section on line 8-8 of Fig. 1 with theintermediate portion of the frame b-roken away and showing an article ofsheet material mounted within the same.

The illustrated embodiment of my invention is an ornate easel suitablefor use in a parlor, bedroom or other situation where it is desired todisplay a photograph or the like to good advantage and in an attractivemanner. This form of my invention comprises a frame member IIJ and asupporting base member II. The frame l0 is herein shown as consisting ofa single rectangular piece of stiilly flexible transparent sheetmaterial provided along its opposite sides and at its top, only, withre-entrant flaps 10a and lllb, respectively, disposed closely 4adjacentto the rear face or side of frame lll.

The base member Il is herein shown as made from a rectangular piece ofthe same stiflly exible transparent sheet material that is bent sharplytransversely as at llc into the acute angular shape shown so as toprovide the same with a base wing lla to rest ilatwise upon a supportand with an upstanding rearwardly inclined or tilted iiat wing IIb whoseopposite side marginal portions are adapted to be slid edgewise intoposition beneath the lower ends of side ilaps Illa of frame Ill from thelower ends thereof as will be clear from Figs. 1, 7 and 8 of thedrawings, the lower ends of said side naps serving through engagementwith supporting wing I la as stops to limit the inward movement of thewing IIb.

In using my new easel the opposite side marginal portions of thephotograph P, or other article of sheet material, that is to bedisplayed, is rst slid edgewise into position beneath the side flapsIlla of frame l0 as shown in Fig. 6, with its top marginal portionbeneath the flap ib at the top of frame l0 as shown in Fig. 8, the upperportion of the frame being sprung or exed slightly by finger pressure,when necessary, to permit said top marginal portion to enter between theap lob and the body portion of the frame as shown in Fig. 8.

Then the wing I Ib of base member II is shoved edgewise into positionbetween the photograph P, or the like, and the side flaps 10a of theframe as shown in Fig. 8 so that the lower portion of said photograph isclamped and held between wing IIb of the base member and the bodyportion of the frame.

The angular relationship of the Wings of the base member is less thanninety degrees and is made such that when the loaded device is placed inposition upon a flat horizontal support such as the top of a dresser ortable with wing lla resting atwise thereon, the center of gravity of theloaded frame is directly above the intermediate portion of said wing Haand therefore the device will stand alone with the frame held in arearwardly inclined upstanding position.

In the best form of my invention herein shown, both frame I0 and b-asemember II are each molded to shape from a single piece of a sheetplastic such as Vinylite, Lucite or the like, such material beingavailable on the market and having a glassy lustrous iinish and ofcrystal` clear transparency which gives to the photograph or the like ahighly desirable sheen and attractive appearance. An additionalornamental eiect may be secured through the use of such material that isslightly tinted with a desired c0101'. In practice I have employedmaterial of the kind referred to measuring about twenty one-thousandthsof an inch in thickness.

When the body of the frame member Ill is made as a complete imperforaterectangular panel as shown, the photograph is shielded and protected bythe same. not limited to an imperforate body portion.

The invention. however, is

What I claim is:

An easel comprising a rectangular frame member and a base member, saidframe member being made from a single piece of transparent sheetmaterial and including a flat body portion provided at its top andopposite sides only with integral narrow resilient independentlyflexible and inwardly bent marginal clamping aps disposed upon the rearside of said body portion and by which a photograph or the like isgripped and held in position against the rear side of said body portion,and said base member being a single piece of sheet material bentVtransversely to provide the same withtwo fiat wings that are relativelydisposed at an acute angle,`one of said Wings being slidable edgewiseinto position beneath the lower end portions of the side aps of saidframe member behind the photograph or the like so that both said wingand said photo- 4 graph or the like are gripped and held by said sideflaps, and the other wing serving as a base to support said frame memberand its contents in an up-standing rearwardly canted position with thecenter of gravity thereof directly above said other Wing.

f Y JoHN H, QXLEY.

REFERENCES CITED Lane Oct. 21, 1930

